Before You Fast: The Spiritual Danger the Church Warns Us About

About this sermon

As we stand at the threshold of the Great Fast, the Church does something unexpected: she removes fasting altogether for a week. Why? In the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee, Christ reveals the hidden danger of religious discipline without humility. The Pharisee fasts, gives generously, and follows the law — yet leaves unjustified. The Publican, broken and honest, asks only for mercy — and goes home justified. This homily explains why the Church begins the Lenten journey not with rules, but with repentance. Before abstaining from food, we are called to abstain from judgment. Before disciplining the body, we must discipline the heart. In the Byzantine tradition, fasting is not self-improvement, moral performance, or spiritual achievement. It is truth-telling. It exposes our weakness, dependence, and need for God. When fasting feeds pride, it becomes spiritually dangerous. When joined to humility, it becomes healing. This message is essential for anyone preparing for Great Lent, practicing asceticism, or struggling with pride, comparison, or harshness toward others. “False fasting says: ‘Look what I can do for God.’ True fasting says: ‘Look what God must do for me.’” May our fasting be healed by repentance, guarded by humility, and shaped by mercy. 0:00 – Opening Prayer & Invocation 0:22 – Standing at the Threshold of the Great Fast 0:45 – The Publican and the Pharisee Explained 1:28 – Why the Pharisee’s Prayer Fails 2:20 – The Publican’s Prayer of Mercy 2:55 – Why the Church Removes Fasting This Week 3:16 – The Danger of Fasting Without Humility 3:58 – What Fasting Really Is in the Byzantine Tradition 4:18 – What Fasting Reveals About Our Hearts 4:41 – The Jesus Prayer and True Repentance 5:19 – False Fasting vs True Fasting 5:38 – Fasting as Spiritual Medicine 6:14 – Signs Your Fasting Is Not From God 6:29 – Fasting as Liturgical and Communal 7:03 – The Paradox of Obedience and Humility 7:32 – The Question We Should Ask Before Lent 7:56 – Christ’s Warning and Promise 8:04 – Final Exhortation and Closing Prayer For more please visit https://www.youtube.com/@st.johnchrysostombyzantine2197 & say 3 Hail Marys for the priest 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 Support Catholic Businesses here - https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ Sensus Fidelium Press - https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ Sensus Fidelium Apps - https://sensusfidelium.tv/ Support Sensus Fidelium - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 🙏🏻PLEASE HELP OUR CHANNEL GROW 🙏🏻 ▶️ 1. Become a Channel Patron: https://www.patreon.com/SensusFidelium ▶️ 2. Visit the website https://www.sensusfidelium.us for Gueranger, Saint of the Day, Apologetics, Meditation by the Saints, Scripture Study and more. ▶️ 3. Subscribe to Other Video Platforms 🔴 SpiritusTV - https://spiritustv.com/@SensusFidelium 🔴 BitChute --- https://www.bitchute.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium/ 🔴 Rumble --- https://rumble.com/c/c-298311 🔴 My Catholic Tube - https://mycatholictube.com/videos/sensus-fidelium-channel/ 🔴 LBRY.tv --- https://lbry.tv/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 ODYSEE - https://odysee.com/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 UGETube - https://videos.utahgunexchange.com/@Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 BrandNewTube - https://brandnewtube.com/@SensusFidelium 🔴 GabTV - https://tv.gab.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 GloriaTV - https://gloria.tv/Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 Brighteon - https://www.brighteon.com/channels/sensusfidelium ▶️ 4. Paypal, Bitcoin, Anedot, Stripe, Square & PO Box donations - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ ▶️ 5. YouTube: Click Subscribe, then Click "Notification Bell" = 🔔 Please "Like" our videos so that Youtube shares it to others by clicking the "Like" thumbs-up under the video = 👍🏻 ▶️ 6. Please share this video 📲, and help others find Christ inside the Catholic Church! Please share this video on Facebook and Twitter using the share button. ▶️ 7. Follow on Social Media: 🔴 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SensusFidelium/ 🔴 Twitter: https://https://twitter.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 YouTube: Click Subscribe, then Click "Notification Bell" = 🔔 🔴 Parler: https://parler.com/profile/Sensusfidelium/posts 🔴 SP3RN: https://www.sp3rn.com/community/pages/14-sensus-fidelium 🔴 GAB: https://gab.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 Bastyon: https://bastyon.com/sensusfidelium 🔴 GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/sensus_fidelium 🔴 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sensusfidelium/ 🔴 Telegram: https//t.me/RealSensusFidelium ▶️ 8. Follow on iTunes: 🔴 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sensus-fidelium-catholic-podcast/id1477010758 #GreatFast #GreatLent #PublicanAndPharisee #Fasting #Humility #ByzantineCatholic #EasternCatholic #OrthodoxChristian #JesusPrayer #Repentance #CatholicFaith #AsceticLife

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• Church & Fellowship
• The Church